menschmaschine
Well-Known Member
Sorry I'm piping in a little late. I lived in the UK for a while and traveled through the Continent as well (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France). If you want to not stand out as American, clothes are key as others have mentioned. "Sneakers" are generally not worn. Otherwise, non-labeled generic-type clothes should do fine. There is a difference in European cuts on clothes, however. Pants are a little straighter, jackets are a little tighter and end not much below the waist, etc. (All generalities, of course.) The other important thing is to look like you know what you're doing and where you're going. Even if you're walking into a corner, act like you meant to go to that corner!:cross:
When my wife and I were traveling through the Continent, we subconsciously tried to not stand out as American. But we generally wore clothes with a European flare in the US anyway. But clothes that aren't blatantly American and not quite European can have a negative effect, too. Here's what happened:
We're sitting in the train station in Fussen (Neuschwanstein) waiting to go back to Munich and these 2 "street-toughs" dressed in drabby denim, unshaven, devil-make hair, etc. walk up to us. They pull out these faded, worn, crummy looking badges that say "Polizei" and ask in German to see our passports. (I'm thinking, what the fcuk is going on here?) I tell him in German that my German's not so good and does he speak English. He does and makes the demand again. So, not wanting to give up my passport, I stall him and ask to see their badges again. Then they got pissed, so I figured we had photocopies of our passports and could go to a consulate and get new ones if we had to, so we give them up. Mine was American and my wife has two, one British and one American, so she gave the British one. They had a good laugh about our surname (Mensch), handed them back, and left us in peace. My synopsys of the situation was that there was an influx of illegal immigrants coming from Eastern Europe at the time into Germany and they thought we were some of them. So, I guess if we were wearing ball-caps and sneakers, they probably would have left us alone, but I would still do it the same way next time.
In any case, make a photocopy of your passport and bring it along. Have a great trip!
When my wife and I were traveling through the Continent, we subconsciously tried to not stand out as American. But we generally wore clothes with a European flare in the US anyway. But clothes that aren't blatantly American and not quite European can have a negative effect, too. Here's what happened:
We're sitting in the train station in Fussen (Neuschwanstein) waiting to go back to Munich and these 2 "street-toughs" dressed in drabby denim, unshaven, devil-make hair, etc. walk up to us. They pull out these faded, worn, crummy looking badges that say "Polizei" and ask in German to see our passports. (I'm thinking, what the fcuk is going on here?) I tell him in German that my German's not so good and does he speak English. He does and makes the demand again. So, not wanting to give up my passport, I stall him and ask to see their badges again. Then they got pissed, so I figured we had photocopies of our passports and could go to a consulate and get new ones if we had to, so we give them up. Mine was American and my wife has two, one British and one American, so she gave the British one. They had a good laugh about our surname (Mensch), handed them back, and left us in peace. My synopsys of the situation was that there was an influx of illegal immigrants coming from Eastern Europe at the time into Germany and they thought we were some of them. So, I guess if we were wearing ball-caps and sneakers, they probably would have left us alone, but I would still do it the same way next time.
In any case, make a photocopy of your passport and bring it along. Have a great trip!